World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. The weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community. This content has been created by WES and is reproduced here with their permission, in partnership.
Poll finds more than half of Canadians want fewer immigrants than Ottawa’s target (Globe and Mail)
A recent Nanos Research poll reports that more than half (53 percent) of Canadians want the federal government to accept fewer immigrants than the 465,000 it is planning for 2023-2025. This is a rise from the previous poll of one in three recorded in March. Nearly a third of respondents say they want the government to stick to current levels, while eight percent think Canada should accept more. The poll also indicates that 55 percent of Canadians want Canada to admit fewer international students that the 900,000 expected by the government this year. According to Nanos Research chairman Nik Nanos, economic pressures facing Canadians including housing and affordability likely influenced polling results where some Canadians may feel hesitant about current decision making as it relates to immigration planning.
Hidden Talent: Unlocking the Employment Potential of Newcomer Youth in the Toronto Region (TRIEC, JVS Toronto, Woodgreen)
This report funded by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) and conducted by TRIEC (Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council), JVS Toronto, and Woodgreen explores employment experiences of newcomer youth in Toronto and aims to understand their strengths and barriers. Results identified key challenges including (1) limited formal support and social connections, being underestimated by employers, and having a lack of awareness and access to programs during the pre-employment phase; (2) devaluation of non-Canadian work experience and discrimination based on names and ethnicity during the job search phase; and, (3) finding themselves in non-linear career paths, facing discrimination at work and taking lower quality jobs in their career building phase. The recommendations aim to improve newcomer support through tailored information, greater recognition of foreign credentials, enhanced employment promotion, and better mentorship. They emphasize industry-specific interventions, flexible program delivery, and strengthened community outreach. In the labour market, the focus is on quality on-the-job experiences, raising awareness of newcomer youth, and incentivizing inclusive workplaces.
Canada on pace to build fewer — not more — homes by 2030 target: CMHC (Global News)
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) projects that the country will be short nearly 3.45 million homes by 2030, adding to the deficit of affordable housing supply. Current figures are lower than outlooks from June of last year (3.52 million). In the province of Ontario, a supply gap of nearly 1.46 million homes is expected - down from the 1.85 million projected last year. Contrastingly, Quebec, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia all saw the supply gap widen with projections from last year. Central to the report's findings is that Canada is expected to build fewer homes by 2030. Previously, CMHC projected that there would be 18.58 million new housing units by 2030; however, this year, researchers expect 18.19 million. Experts cite explosive growth in population, supported by historic immigration levels, as a significant factor when considering housing supply gaps. Based on current plans, the federal government seeks to welcome 500,000 new permanent residents annually by 2025. If trends continue to 2030, the projected shortfall may widen to four million homes.